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Staff IconBaby Teeth - The Baby Teeth Album (Cover Artwork)

Baby Teeth

The Baby Teeth Album (2005)
Lujo Records

Reviewer Rating:


Contributed by: Adam
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Published on July 12th 2005


What a bizarre little record this is. Baby Teeth's throwback to 70's top 40 pop and soul balances on a pin between enthralling and ridiculous. Truth be told, I was quite taken by The Baby Teeth Album for the first week or so it was in my possession. It's one of those truly post-modern records, delivering a pastiche of well worn styles in a way that's completely self-aware and smugly oblivious of current trends. Usually that's something I can get behind, and there's times when Baby Teeth's songwriting is good enough to pull it off; however, I can't discern how serious the band is taking this effort. If this is all meant to be ironic, and it sure seems like it at times, my enthusiasm for the material wanes.

"Mighty Time" comes off like something Elton John might have written back in the "Rocket Man" / "Tiny Dancer" era. You know, the pre-Disney soundtrack Elton that you can admit you actually don't mind. The three-part harmonies and Pearly Sweets' syrupy vocals sound completely authentic, but then the chorus kicks in; "Just bring all the blow that you can find / Gonna be a mighty time!" Blow? Is this meant to be ironic or sound so silly? Suddenly I'm not sure if I should be singing or laughing along, and that's really the core flaw of The Baby Teeth Album: It never firmly decides if it's doing this "for real" or not. There are some wonderful high points though. The memorable funk of "Celebrity Wedding" could put a smile on anyone's face. Just try and not sing along to the backing vocals in the chorus. "Butter X" follows a similar template to similar success. I've seen more than a few reviewers compare Baby Teeth to Chicago, and the observation's quite accurate. However, I've always personally been torn on Chicago. On one hand, you have the cool and soulful Robert Lamm keeping things somewhat grounded (Transit Authority was a pretty awesome record), but you also have the pure evil of Pete Cetera making those later sugary power ballads sound all the more ridiculous. Pearly Sweets sounds a lot like Lamm at times, but on those maybe-ironic-maybe-not schmaltzy tunes ("Dream," "Mandy," "Dynamite Explodes") Baby Teeth are dangerously slipping into Cetera country. I don't know about you, but that's somewhere I try and stay away from.

The Baby Teeth Album is a curious little artefact, but one I plan to hang on to for a while. It's just weird and catchy enough to warrant repeat listens, even if it's just to figure out what the hell the band's intentions are. That unclear purpose keeps the record from achieving heights that the band is certainly skilled enough to obtain, so it'll be interesting to watch where they take things from here.




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    GreenVandal (July 13, 2005)

    HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    Anchors writes some decent reviews, but that shit is funny. It might be funny because its pathetic...but its still funny.

    Anonymous (July 13, 2005)

    Baby Teeth- "The Baby Teeth Record"

    Review by Anchors

    In rock music, most bands develope like our all-too-familiar mouth bones. Of course, I never want these Baby Teeth to fall out.

    This album rocked me. I don't know about music, but I liked this record.

    -Anchors

    Anonymous (July 12, 2005)

    Babyteeth was the name of Therapy?'s first album way back in 1991. Way to be original guys.

    Anonymous (July 12, 2005)

    Punk Planet interviewed these guys a couple of issues ago. It was interesting.

    Anonymous (July 12, 2005)

    yeah i'm pretty sure these guys don't take themselves that seriously

    -the other scott

    Anonymous (July 12, 2005)

    On the other hand, "Cetera Country" is one of the best names ever.

    stevejonestherealbones (July 12, 2005)

    yeah...bad name...bad name....

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    crazytoledo (July 12, 2005)

    Baby Teeth = Worst. Name. Ever.

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